Process of treating complex ores containing zinc and other volatilizable metals for the production of oxids.



G. M. RIOE. PROCESS or TREATlNG COMPLEX ORES oonnmme zmc AND OTHER VOLATILIZABLE METALS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF oxws.

. APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1907. 899,322 Patented 'Sept. 22, 'l 908.

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(tlittltttl) M. RICE, ()l \YORLES'lElt, MASSAGEUSET'IS.

PROCESS OF TREATING COMPLEX ORES CONTAINING ZINC AND OTHER VOLATILIZABLE METALS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF OXIDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 22, 1908.

Application filed July 25, 1907. Serial No. 885,435.

"1.0 altar/tom if. 'm my concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon M. RICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVOl't'Osltl', in the eounty of lVor-cester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Process of 'lreating Complex ()res Containing Zinc and Other Vt'datilizable Metals for the Production of ()xids, of which tluilollowing isa spot-nitration, reference being made therein to the accompanying drawm s.

The object of my present invent ion is to all'ord a practically etlicient method for extract'ing volatile metals in the form oi oxids, from sullid ores, taken in their raw state 21TH without a previous roasting or other pre liminary oxidizing process; such, for instance, as zinc. ore or other ores containing metals of a volatilizablenature that form oxids when their vapors or fumes are brought into contact, at high tcnmerature, with atmospherie air.

Another object is to )rovide a. method of treating complex, or other zine ores to produce oxids, and recovering the non-volatilizable metals and the sulfur, in the form of matte produced in the operation.

The ores to be submitted to my process may be any complex mixture, as for instance ore curr 'ingthe sullids of zinc, cadmium, iron, lead, copper, gold, silver, or other metals in greater or less amounts The volatilizable metals contained in such ores can be successfully volat-ilized out and oxidized by the process, while the non-volatile metals, as well as the sulfur contained in the ore mixture, are concentrated in a matte for further utilization.

In carrying out my present process, raw ores crushed to about twenty mesh, more or loss, or finer if desired, are mixed with finely divided metallic iron, asfor instance the drillings or chips produced by iron work ing machines of various kinds. The. nailtity ol" iron mixed with the ore must )0 in large excess of the quantity necessary to c-hemic-allv combine with the sulfur from the volatilizable metals in forming mono-sallid of iron, (.l eS.) and also an additional amount sullieient to saturate and form a slag with what silica the ore may eontain; say-for complex ores earrving forty parts zinc, about. fifty percent. of their weightof addediron is necessary to easily reduce and volatilize the zinc, and other metals of like nature. It

may he more or less in quantit in case of different ores, as may be found necessary to clecom jiose the ore mixture and liberate the metals; but in all cases the added iron. nmist eheniieally overbalanee, or be in large excess of the requirements of the sulfur and silica. Such large percent. of excess iron has. been found. to completely free the role l,ill5 n 1etals so that they will not be carried into the matte, in part, and thus form a trtnlblesome mixture for after treatment.

The iron employed may be ordinary machine shop waste, chips and filings, horings and turnings; the material known as iron sponge oomminuted; or iron in any equiva lent granular form. This ore and iron mix ture is treated in a furnace, ae-rneible, or a closed retort, of any suitable form, on )able of being heated; as by a furnace, r y acurrcnt of electricity, orby other means. The retort is connected with a oolleeting apparatus, which may be constructed as hereinafter described.

The retort or crucible may be closed, except for the leaders to the condenser, and for entranee of the external air, which is allowed to mingle with the metallic vapors given 011', as is hereafter explained. After the retortis charged with the ore and iron mixture heatis applied and maintained. at such temperature as may be necessary to liberate the metal, or metals, capable of being volatilized out of the ore; and the heating continued until the are driven oil and the min-volatile metals have melted and united in the matte that is formed by unionof the added iron and the sulfur present in the ore; which. product, together with the slag. 'is then in etmdition to be disehargml from the furnace or retort while still in a fused condition.

It will be understood that no carbon or re due-ing agent, other than the iron, is rgquired; nor is anvthing added to the ore mi. lure for the liberation of the volatile meta?! while undergoing the process, the iron chips or drillings acting both as a decomposing and as a reducing agent to free such metals.

In some instances silica, or lime, may be added to the mixture to form a slag: or slag from a revious'operation may be added when a s ag is deor'ned necessary to facilitate the working of seine particular ores; but in most eases it is unnecessary to add. slag forming material other than those already pr sent in the ore.

The crucible can be provided with proper openings for entrance of the materials and discharge of the products, and the process thus made continuous.

When treating complex ores containing both zinc and lead, the zinc vapor given o'lf at high temperature unites with the oxygen of the air admitted or forced into the furnace, crucible orretort, thereby forming zinc oxid; While the lead that is vaporized under like circumstances and at the same time, unites with a portion of the sulfur compounds, also given ofi, forming lead sulfate, thus produc-- in a mixed compound of zinc-oxid and leadsu fate, which is gathered in suitable manner, and may be in various ways utilized in the arts.

The metallic fumes given off by the ore mixture undergoing treatment, as above specified, are caused to mingle with atmospheric air, as they pass from the retort or furnace, which air may be preheated, if desired, and the oxids produced led away to a bag-house or other gathercr for collection, care being taken to keep out dust and other external matters which might injure the product.

For working my improved process on a large scale, when the object is to produce crude oxids for paint material, or other pur oses, a reverberatory smelting furnace may e employed, and the crushed raw zinc ore intimately mixed with iron chips or particles, in the pro ortionsapproximately as above stated, is e iarged onto the hearth of the furnace and there heated and maintained at proper temperature by a gas flame, or other elficient means, while the metallic vapors are given ofi' from the ore, and these vapors from the ore are oxidized by atmospheric air ad mitted to the furnace to mingle with the vapors; the oxids thus produced being gathered and condensed substantially asabove described. The slag can be skimmed oil or removed, and the matte tapped and drawn out of the furnace as required. By this method I am enabled to effect, with ractical economy, the recovery of the volati e metals in theform of oxids and the production of a residual matte, thus getting all the values direct from raw ore and at a single operation,

and without the necessity of preliminary ro'astin or any intermediary operations other t an the treatment as specified.

The accompanying drawing represents a sectional elevation diagram illustrating, in a eneral way, the order of arrangement of one orm of apparatus which may be used in car- 'rying out myprocess.

In said drawing the numeral 1 represents the crucible, retort or furnace, within which the mass of mixed ore is treated.

The numeral 2 indicates the melting and vaporizing chamber which may be heated by admitting gas and air through ports a and a,

. ters Patent, .is

if preferred: or by electrical currents, or in any suitable manner.

3 indicates the exit-way from the furnace, 4 the chimney or stack having a shut-oil devicc for closing its flue; 5 indicates the leader for conducting the volatilizcd metals or vap rs to thc condensing and collecting chambers or receptacles, which latter arc indicated by the numerals 7, 8, U and 10; and

13 indicates a power-driven blower or means for inducing the flow of metallicvapors or lumes towards the collecting apparatus.

As herein illustrated, 0 indicates the orc mass, 8 the slag, and m. the matte, disposed in the furnace as when a charge partially treated. The furnace is prov ded with suitable outlcts for drawing off or removing the slag and the matte when required.

l n prz'tcticing my invention an apparatus of this form, or of any othcr prclcrrcd suitable form can be employed,- since my invention relates to the process or mode of treatment irrespective of any particular form of apparatus that may be used. for working the same. n

1th the furnace last above mentioned, 1n the heating up of the ore to the point of volatilizatiou of the metals, a non-oxidizing .ilamc is preferably employed, and above that point'an oxidizing l is necessarily used.

By the within described process of treating volatile metals, it is possible to utilize amc or atmosphere ores in llil-cir natural condition, and by this means to iroduce their metallic oxids in a more simple manner than the ordinary processes; lurthcrmorc, the gain is direct and morecomplete, avoiding the residual and. other losses of the older processes. yield approximates closely to that found by assay; and further it wholly avoids the roasting process hitherto necessary as a preliminary step in the treatment of such ores.

' it will be understood that pure sulfur hearing ores of any volatile metal can be very readily treated in the manner indicated, and the metallic oxids realized from them in lunch less time than is required by former processes. g In my process the n( ,n-volatile metals containcd in the ores, such as copper, lead, gold, silver 'ctc., are concentrated in the matte in a condition for any further treatment desired.

I do not claim broadly the employment of metal ic iron in the art of metallurgy irre iective of the manner in which it is emmer ts, and als -m1xed ore and ironypartic les "ace and subjecting the same to heat,

' ores 35 turs 0 heat in a suitable retort er I I, rial to matte aLnd slag e vapors or fumesof the volatilized metals 40 for oxldizing the same,

and collecting the zinc oxid in suitable ith the crus ticles or chips of metallic .iron in quantity suflicient to ov'erbalance the sulfur require- 0 suflicientto form a slag with the silica contained in the ore, charging such into a melti thereby vaporizing the volatile metals and melti the matte and slag'residuals, oxidizing t e metallic vapors as they pass off from the charge, and then condensing and collecting the oxidized product.

which consists in mixing with the crushed quantity suflicient to overbalance the sulfur requirements, and also to form slag with the contained silica, chargin such mixed ore and iron chips into a cruci le, or furnace, and then subjecting the same to heatand thereby vaporizing the volatile metals and melting the matte and slag -residuals, oxidizing the metallic vapors as they pass off from the 'charge, then condensing and collecting the ubsequently removl mg the slag and drawing-out the matte, from the furnace or crucible, as separate products.

oxidized product, and s 3. The improvement in treating complex zinc ores, which consists in adding to crushed raw zinc ore a quantity offinly divided metallic-iron chips, such quantity being in excess of the amount necessary to combine with 1%take up the sulfur in the volatilizable ls in forming FeS., subjectin the mixrnace at a de ee suflicient to vaporize Mid drive off gjtilizablemetals. aiid fme lt theresidual and then condensing chambers.

ed raw ore, finely divided par- 7 e process of treating raw sulfid zinc raw ore, chips of metallic-iron in' admitting air to I t c "-4. flhe im rovement in the art of producing zincoxi and other products direct from raw complex, or mixed ores containing zinc, lead, etc, which consists in intimately mixing with the raw crushed ores a quantity of comminuted metallic-ironm an amount that will chemically overbalance the sulfur liberated from the volatilizable metals in forming iron mono-sulfid (FeS.) and also an" amount to form sla with the silica contained in the ore, placing the mass in a suitable furnace or retort and therein vaporizing the volatilizable metals and melt the non-volatiliz' able materials by the a p ication of suflicient heat, and simultaneous y admitting air to. the vaporized metals for oxidizing the zinc and oxidizable metals, in vaporized condition, then condensing and collecting the vaporized prodllcts, and subsequently removing the slag and matte from the furnace or retort as separate products.

5. The process of treating mixed or com plex sulfid ores, containing zinc and lead, to produce mixed class named, a largely in excess of the amount re uired to combine with the sulfur liberated mm the ore,- to form ironinono-sulfid, (FeS.) heating and maintaining the ore and iron mixture at g a temperature suilicient to volatilize the zinc and lead, and simultaneously oxidizing the zinc and sulfatizing the lead,while in a vaporized condition, as it is volatilized out of the mass.

GEO. M. RICE.

\Vitnesses:

R. D. ARNOLD, ELLA P. BLENUR.

oxid and sulfate; which consists in mixing with raw crushed ores of the quantity of metallic iron,

Witness my hand this 22nd day of July, v 

